Self build homes have been designed and built to meet the individual needs and tastes of those who live in them and, as such, they come in all manner of shapes, sizes and specifications.
With this variety comes a broad variance in build costs which can make it difficult to prospective self builders to get a handle on what kind of home they could build on their budget.
To help demonstrate that great design and a home that meets your needs is achievable whatever your budget, take a look at this list of great self build homes that have been organised by build cost.
As a disclaimer, these are build costs only and do not include land costs. Land costs vary so wildly across the UK and so make for an unfair comparison (additionally some of the self builders listed below already owned their plot).
(MORE: Estimate your build costs with our free Build Cost Calculator)
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- £100,000 and under
- £100,001 – £199,999
- £200,000 – £299,999
- £300,000 – £399,999
- £400,000 – £499,999
- £500,000 – £599,999
- £600,000 – £699,000
- £700,000 – £799,999
- £800,000 – £999,999
- £1million and over
Self Build Homes Built for £100,000 and Under
Justin and Linda Tyers self built a two-bed straw bale home for just £67k under Exmoor National Park’s affordable housing policy.
The couple kept costs low by taking on much of the design and building work themselves.
- Build cost: £67,000
- Build time: 11 months
- Location: Somerset
(MORE: How much does it cost to build a house?)
Jude Hesselgrave and Roger Page built a log cabin, which they subsequently extended and transformed over the years to create a characterful home — for just £60,000.
- Build cost: £60,000
- Location: East Sussex
(MORE: How to build a house for under £150k)
Phil Coe transformed an old agricultural building into a modern home using skills he learned in college and tutorials on the internet.
- Build cost: £80,000 (£615/m²)
- Build time: 2 years
- Location: Yorkshire
Taking inspiration from the local vernacular, Niall and Helen Maxwell built their own sustainable home fit for modern living using local materials and labour to keep costs down.
- Build cost: £80,000 (£1,066/m²)
- Build time: 3 years 10 months
- Location: North Carmarthenshire
Insulated concrete formwork (ICF) was used to build this home over a stream on a restricted plot. The homeowner, Robin, took inspiration from the internet to teach himself different skills and built the majority of the house himself.
- Build cost: £100,000 (£690/m2)
- Build time: 1 year 8 months
- Location: Argyll & Bute
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Self Build Homes Built for £100,001 to £199,999
This contemporary cabin-style self build home was built inspired by Scandinavian architecture and interiors and includes extra insulation and solar panels to compete with the harsh northern climate.
- Build cost: £125,000 (£1,315/m²)
- Build time: 4 years 1 month
- Location: Isle of Skye
David Snell and wife Linda have completed their fourteenth (!) self build home on the edge of the Forest of Dean.
- Build Cost: £129,121
- Build Time: 18 months
- Location: Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire
Proving that building on a budget doesn’t have to mean low-spec, this family home was constructed from Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and timber frame with a simple design to keep costs down.
- Build cost: £135,000 + £30,000 on finishes (£1,038/m²)
- Build time: 1 year
- Location: Herefordshire
A clever cantilevered design means this self build home makes the most of a tight plot and near-by neighbours, while vaulted ceilings on the first floor mean that the space feels open and light.
- Build cost: £170,000 (£1,416/m²)
- Build time: 1 year
- Location: Nottingham
Pioneering the idea that a low-energy home can be built using ordinary building materials, these homeowners made sure to include renewables in this house design.
- Build cost: £175,000 (£1,129/m²)
- Build time: 6 years 11 months
- Location: Monmouthshire
This timber-clad home was completed in the majority by the homeowners who took on all work except from the installation of the oak frame, roof and windows.
- Build cost: £198,000
- Build time: 5 years 6 months
- Location: Kent
Self Build Homes Built for £200,000 to £299,999
Simeon Rich and Sara Farquharson have made the most of a small plot with their eco self build home with build costs of just £825/m².
- Build cost: £221,200
- Build time: 10 months
- Location: Devon
This modern cedar-clad home situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has the wow-factor and luxury of a hotel on a sloping plot in the woods.
- Build cost: £237,000 (£825/m²)
- Build time: 7 months
- Location: Devon
Elizabeth Sharp has self built a 110m² Passivhaus on the site of her former home’s garage and rear garden, and now has heating bills of around £300 per year.
- Build cost: £250,000
- Build time:16 months
- Location: London
Homeowners Wendy and Steve worked with Border Oak to build their dream 185m² oak frame home in Herefordshire.
- Build cost: £265,000 (£1,432/m²)
- Build time: 1 year
- Location: Herefordshire
This self build home is a great example of when great design and well thought-out specification meet to create a truly unique property. The use of traditional materials and form means that this new build looks like it has stood for centuries.
- Build cost: £296,000 (£1,458/m²)
- Build time: 11 months
- Location: Monmouthshire
Self Build Homes Built for £300,000 to £399,999
The clever design of many features combats potential plot problems in this self build — working with the curve of the road, the house is split into three ‘sections’ and angled windows reduce overlooking.
- Build cost: £300,000 (2,238/m²)
- Build time: 2 years
- Location: Bristol
Built using a steel frame, this contemporary treehouse embraces its surroundings like no other. Imaginative budget solutions combined with beautiful Passivhaus design mean this house is like no other.
- Build cost: £308,000 (£1,540/m²)
- Build time: 4 years
- Location: Dursley, Gloucestershire
A amazingly eccentric self build home that looks like it has been standing for centuries. A large amount of work was done by the homeowners and an effort to stay true to the local vernacular inspired the use of reclaimed brick for the exterior.
- Build cost: £350,000
- Build time: 10 years
- Location: Sussex
Built in a flood zone on the edge of the Thames, this self build is inspired by the architectural influences of the homeowner and architect, Jon Wallsgrove. Exotic materials are also incorporated into the home, including Brazilian slate and interior railings from France.
- Build cost: £360,000 (£1,028/m²)
- Build time: 5 years 9 months
- Location: Surrey
Self Build Homes Built for £400,000 to £499,999
An incredible total of five balconies adorn this self build home which, inspired by Swiss design, is finished in a mix of render, stone and timber with beautiful pine cladding throughout the interior.
- Build cost: £415,000 (£1,775/m²)
- Build time: 1 year 1 month
- Location: Yorkshire
Shelagh Krasno’s new self build home in Hampshire was built using an oak frame and features dormer windows and weatherboarding and an L-shaped design.
- Build Cost: £449,000
- Build Time: 12 months
- Location: Hampshire
Phil and Yvonne Garnett’s self build home is the first oak-frame home to achieve Passivhaus certification in the UK.
- Build cost: £450,000
- Build time: 13 months
- Location: Yorkshire
Jo and Dave Reeves have combined modern methods of construction and energy efficiency with traditional green oak framing and building materials for their first self build.
- Build cost: £464,000
- Location: Surrey/Hampshire border
These homeowners have designed an upside down house to make the most of the location’s spectacular views. The result is a contemporary home, flooded with natural light.
- Build cost: £470,000
- Location: Fife coast, Edinburgh
Using a fabric first approach by using SIPs, Colin Amor, built an energy-efficient home clad in hard-wearing Siberian larch.
- Build cost: £474,000 (£1,185/m²)
- Build time: 13 months
- Location: Stirling, Scotland
- Build Cost: Approx. £480,000 (£1,600/m²)
- Build Time: 1 year 1 month
- Location: Spey Valley, Scotland
Homeowners Sheila and Geoff McGaughey built an oak frame bungalow on their Conservation Area plot in Surrey. The couple worked with Border Oak to bring their vision to life.
- Build cost: £491,000
- Build time: 9 months
- Location: Surrey
Self Build Homes Built for £500,000 to £599,999
It was quality first when building this house as high standards and a great home design created a traditional home that looks like it has stood for years.
- Build Cost: £500,000
- Build Time: 10 Years
- Location: Gloucestershire
This contemporary home sits comfortably in the countryside setting without becoming an imposing presence. Low energy living was embraced by the homeowners and the house boasts underfloor heating, high insulation and a mechanical heat ventilation system.
- Build cost: £500,000 (£1,483/m²)
- Build time: 8 months
- Location: Argyll & Bute
This oak frame design had family at the heart as Gerald and Debbie Rogers built it to care for Gerald’s mother. The result is a beautiful and understated home ready for the future.
- Build cost: £530,000 (£1,970/m²)
- Build time: 1 year 7 months
- Location: Cambridge
Not many people choose to prepare for their wedding day by building a house, but Amanda and Colin Sheppard built a stunning home on their Oxfordshire plot.
- Build cost: £586,000 (£1953.33/m²)
- Build time: 1 year 2 months
- Location: Oxfordshire
Self Build Homes Built for £600,000 to £699,999
Melvin Starling and Sandy Garfield self built their own home in Surrey using timber frame. The property has a clean, uncluttered appearance and is low maintenance and energy efficient.
- Build cost: £600,000 (£2,000/m²)
- Build time: 10 months
- Location: Surrey
This traditional-style home was built using green oak but is filled with hi-tech gadgets such as automated windows, integrated lighting and entertainment systems and – less glamorously – a bio-digester sewage treatment plant.
- Build Cost: £620,000 (£2,583/m²)
- Build Time: 1 Year
- Location: Surrey
After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Mike Bray and his wife Linda self built a bespoke accessible home with the help of their son, Oliver..
- Build cost: £630,000 (£2,704/m2)
- Build time: 1 year 5 months
- Location: Hampshire
A Wealden-barn style design was chosen over a traditional barn-style home in order to achieve planning permission and optimum natural light throughout the building.
- Build Cost: £650,000 (£944/m²)
- Build Time: 2 Years 5 Months
- Location: Surrey
The limestone and oak cladding decorating this build were sourced locally and the unconventional design of the house is complimented by the comforting interior finished with open fireplaces and bamboo and slate flooring.
- Build Cost: £692,000 (£1,457/m²)
- Build Time: 1 Year
- Location: Border of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire
Self Build Homes Built for £700,000 to £799,999
This off-the-grid home was built using locally-sourced materials with a motivation for sustainable living. The design and the exterior finish means the house melts seamlessly into the landscape.
- Build Cost: £700,000 (£2,058/m²)
- Build Time: 1 year(s) 5 month(s)
- Location: Dumfries & Galloway
Sensitively built, this oak frame home is a masterclass in sustainable living as the design includes both passive and active eco features.
- Build cost: £720,000 (£1,655/m²)
- Build time: 1 year 4 months
- Location: Gloucestershire
Replacing a tired mid-1950s house, this modern love letter to wood and glass stands strong, taking full advantage of the views surrounding the plot.
- Build Cost: £740,000
- Build time: 1 year 1 month
- Region: Monmouthshire
A unique package-build experience gave way for the timber and steel clad home in the form of a contemporary-style barn.
- Build cost: £746,000 (£1,445/m²)
- Build time: 8 months
- Location: Gloucestershire
Suitable for retirement and completely future-proofed this cantilevered house is full of drama and wow-factor as much as it incorporates practical solutions.
- Build cost: £750,000 (£3,660/m²)
- Build time: 1 year 3 months
- Location: Dorset
Nigel and Alison Maddocks chose a stunning riverside location for their spectacular contemporary self build home in Worcestershire.
- Build cost: £750,000 (£2,863/m²)
- Build time: 21 months
- Location: Worcestershire
Self Build Homes Built for £800,000 to £999,999
The homeowners journey for their home for retirement was stress-free thanks to the detailed planning and design process by Oakwrights.
- Build cost: £800,000 (£2,462/m²)
- Build time: 11 months
- Location: Isle of Wight
A beautiful example of organic architecture, this contemporary home seems to grow from the rolling hills.
- Build cost: £848,466 (£2,203/m²)
- Build time: 1 year 1 month
- Region: Gloucestershire
The bold design and striking exterior of this home contrasts wonderfully with the white chalky cliffs on the brownfield plot.
- Build cost: £850,000
- Location: Lewes, East Sussex
Full of character, this traditional oak-frame house was built by local craftspeople and sits firmly within the vernacular of the countryside setting.
- Build cost: £928,000 (£1,568/m²)
- Build time: 2 years 6 months
- Location: Kent
Where most couples downsize as their children move out, Geoff and June Gaffney were determined to build enough space in their home to accommodate their ever-growing family.
- Build cost: £989,000 (£2,222/m²)
- Build time: 1 year 3 months
- Location: Buckinghamshire
Self Build Homes Built for £1,000,000 and over
A striking new build on the Cornish coast, this home is finished to a beautiful degree, making the most of the stunning views with an interior to match.
- Build cost: £1,000,000
- Build time: 11 months
- Location: Cornwall
Utilising a tricky sloping plot to a design advantage, this home is spread over three levels, all of which incorporate large elements of glazing.
- Build cost: £1,000,000
- Build time: 5 years
- Location: Devon
This modern family home in the form of traditional Scottish mansion was the long-standing dream of the homeowners and it stands stoic against the beautiful landscape.
- Build cost: £1,000,000
- Build time: 1 year 9 months
- Location: Perthshire
Despite the sensitive, historic nature of their plot, as well as the fact that it was prone to flooding, Rachel and Darren Luke have overcome every challenge to build a stunning, oak frame ‘forever’ home.
- Build Cost: £1,200,000
- Build Time: 17 months
- Location: Worcestershire
In place of their former family bungalow, homeowners Mel and Pauline built a unique dwelling that boasts a dining hall atrium, swimming pool, huge cathedral-style windows and a wine-drinking retreat in the basement.
- Build Cost: £1,300,000
- Build Time: 1 Year 3 Months
- Location: Kent
Interlocking larch-clad boxes on top of a solid concrete base give this home a unique split-level flooring layout.
- Build cost: £1,710,000
- Build time: 2 years 7 months
- Location: North London
The square-nature of the Georgian-style houses – this one built with Hemcrete, a modern mix of lime and the inner core of the commercial hemp plant – was chosen for it’s energy-efficiency. The high-spec materials and fixtures used throughout the build make sure the finish is beautiful inside and out.
- Build cost: £1,800,000
- Build time: 1 year 7 months
- Location: North Yorkshire
A self build like no other, this impressive home is spread over four floors and is so deeply imbedded in it’s surroundings that it looks as if it has grown organically from the complex rock-face.
- Build cost: £2,400,000
- Build time: 10 years
- Region: Devon
The quirky and creative design of this house is a great example of architecture at its best. Built using Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), the home pushes boundaries and is a testament to self-build done right.
- Build cost: £2,500,000
- Build time: 1 year 10 months
- Location: Hampshire
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